AbstractMalignant lymphomas are tumors of lymphoid tissue that make up almost 30% of cancers in childhood. The term “lymphoma” covers a variety of histologic types of tumor that have been placed in many different classifications. Based on biological behavior and current management, it is convenient to divide lymphomas in children into 2 broad categories: (a) Hodgkin’s disease, and (b) non‐Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Hodgkin’s disease in children resembles the disease in adults. It is a slowly progressive chronic disease, often lacking in systemic symptoms in early stages. Evaluation of Hodgkin’s disease involves careful determination of extent of disease by radiologic, scanning, biochemical, and surgical staging techniques. Non‐Hodgkin’s lymphoma, in contrast, is one of the most rapidly growing cancers in children. The disease differs greatly from adult non‐Hodgkin’s lymphoma both in behavior and management. The rapid clinical course and early spread to bone marrow and central nervous system resembles acute leukemia more than adult non‐Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The children are often extremely sick at the time of diagnosis and evaluation. More than a 24‐hour delay in treatment may increase the problems of subsequent management and jeopardize cure. The planned staging laparotomy carried out electively in Hodgkin’s disease has no place in the management of non‐Hodgkin’s lymphoma in children. Surgery in this tumor consists of biopsy of peripheral node for diagnosis and determination of peripheral nodal presentation, and exploratory laparotomy for resection of gross tumor in abdominal presentation. Whereas the pretreatment evaluation may take 1 week in Hodgkin’s disease, non‐Hodgkin’s lymphoma requires urgent induction of chemotherapy within 48 hours of diagnosis. This discussion of lymphoma in children involves separate considerations of Hodgkin’s disease and non‐Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The reader should think of these groups as 2 distinct diseases requiring quite different types of management.